Lost Realms
Much of what occurred prior to the Time Of Mage Blight has been forgotten, misinterpreted, or intentionally removed from historical records during the holy purges that followed. Here we recall some of those realms that remained during the Time Of Founding... yet fell before (or during) the Time Of Warring Giants: Yenrad Yenrad was a Human culture that arose on the western border of The Weft, at around the same time that ancient Rhuul was ascendant. They wore armor adorned in feathers, and acted as sentinels against threats from the Inner Weft. They bound powerful Elementals as servants and guards for their most precious sites. As Arkhos and Thaedia grew in prominence, the Yenrady migrated deeper into The Weft, seeming to abandon their kingdom. Whether they fled, or pursued a higher purpose is unknown... Jindris A realm founded on gold mines, Jindris grew on the tip of The Jungle Of Claws, facing toward the Crosslands (then known as Sogdul). During the Pharid War, Jindris was forced to serve the Pharidae as a vanguard nation. Their people were thrown upon the spears of Thaedia, and legend has it that their gold-laced armor now rests deep beneath the Dunes Of Blood And Gold... Gorgondin A decadent city-state built upon the Bay Of Fate, Gorgondin was ruled by Ruinous cult factions. During a heated clash with Arkhos, over the right to claim abandoned Rhuu lands, the Gorgondins unleashed demons and dark sorcery. Unwilling to forgive such actions, the Arkhosians laid siege to the city. Within the walls, the cults turned on each other... until none were left but gibbering demons. Arkhos left the city standing for several generations, as a monument to their hatred for Ruin; yet a surge of arcane power allowed demonic hosts to emerge and lay waste to Arkhos and the Thunder Peaks (mysteriously avoiding Greenfang Forest). In response, Arkhos sent thousands of knights to level the city once and for all. Felqôg Having defeated an enormous herd of giants, several Human villages in the foothills of the Thunder Peaks declared themselves the kingdom of Felqôg. Four years later the King led an ad-hoc crusade of giant hunters into the peaks... only to be soundly defeated by an even larger herd of giants. Leaderless, the kingdom fell apart. Almost a hundred years after this, the kingdom is briefly reformed, as a local leader drums up support to reconquer Grengulak for Humanity. This second crusade was picked apart by Orcs, trolls, and other monsters, soon becoming lost and ending up on the doorstep of Brokenstone. The cautious Dwarf residents, seeing a small army approaching, drove the Humans off. The survivors returned home to find a blight upon their crops. To this day the name Felqôg is rarely spoken, the hill folk choosing to intentionally forget it. Sogdul Once a subterranean realm of bandits who cloaked themselves in grey shrouds, all the better to strike from the early morning mists, Sogdul plagued the armies and traders of Jindris, Thaedia, and Rhuul. Thaedia eventually grew tired of their interference, and launched an invasion... only to discover that the Sogduli were ruled by a dragon called Quargorlaax The Smog-Spined. Over the course of several battles, the dragon was slain and the few surviving Sogduli taken back to Thaedia as indebted, leaving only the desolate silence of what is now called The Crosslands... Baos A small island realm off the coast of Lo'Quai, the people of Baos built temples from the ruins of Elven sky towers, and chose to venerate Taeyaloo alongside the Gods. This all changed when the realm was invaded by Dark Elves. The suffering population were eventually rescued by Lo'Quaim Emperor Kapo Xing, a well known devotee of Lianda, and gratefully allowed their realm to be absorbed. The islands now form the Princedom of Misaki and the folk there retain many temples to the sun goddess. Chertlan Founded upon the Sabre Isles, this realm was ruled by cultists of The Narga, particularly those dedicated to Gorgos. The bloodthirsty populace opened a portal to Ruin upon the highest peak of the isles, unleashing a swarm of demons upon themselves. The ensuing orgy of bloodletting and sacrifice wiped out Chertlan, leaving only broken shrines and pools of bubbling blood that supposedly have yet to dry... it is also whispered that the portal may still be active, awaiting those foolish enough to seek it... El'himshar Once a proud seafaring city-state, El'himshar boasted the greatest of all Human fleets. When they began to encroach on trade between Lo'quai and Maphotepsis, avoiding established land-based caravan routes, the jealous Maphit Sultan allied himself with a fleet of Dark Elf corsairs. Together they razed El'himshar; their agreement provided the Fey Ring Isles with hundreds of slaves, and gifted Maphotepsis with a battered but serviceable fleet, allowing them to become a sea power. Tirgoth And Wërgun Two kingdoms that formed in Vylkland, and lasted far longer than most do in the frosty land. Tirgoth was ruled by King Ulgr Axeborn, whilst Wërgun belonged to King Eirgild Bjordinson. Ulgr was willing to marry his daughter Krofti to Eirgild's daughter Sofeig, both heirs to their respective kingdoms. Alas, Krofti was killed on her way to Wërgun. Grief stricken, Ulgr laid blame for the death on Eirgild, sparking a vicious war. Both Kings met in single combat, slaying each other. As is the way in Vylkland, the kingdoms devolved into factions, each supporting a new Jarl. All that remains of the kingdoms are two villages bearing their names, and many sad songs. Pharid Advanced well beyond the Fraelite tribes surrounding them, with arcane and alchemical knowledge envied even by modern Scy'kadian realms, the Pharidae could overcome all but seemingly one obstacle... death. Turning from the Gods and the Narga both, the ruling Pharaohs devoted themselves to the ideal of eternal earthly life. They dabbled in necromantic sorcery, and were despised by their neighbors, many of whom attempted to wage war on the Pharidae, only to be met by skeletal hosts or the terrifying effects of an arcane disease known as The Scarab Rot. After generations of secrecy, the Pharidae Tomb Prince Kalomesch (an undead Mage King who had been involved in Pharid politics from behind the scenes) finally developed a method of converting large swathes of a population into undead. They started with their own people, then attempted to sweep across Scy'kadia. Many Fraelite cities avoided immediate conversion by swearing support, but continued to sabotage the undead advance from the shadows. The forces of Arkhos and Thaedia led the push back against the Pharidae Union (consisting of Pharid and it's conquered peoples) eventually destroying their forces, as Kalomesch was beheaded by Centurion Cassius Lergor. The Pharidae cities were torn down by Fraelite devotees of Kree... except for their pyramid monoliths, which still held devastating necromantic power.